Red Rose

Chapter 4 - Finale

Now I was starting to get worried. I'm sure no one else finished Sam's story. I thought he did.

Then I felt a cold sensation tingle throughout my body as I shivered, looking at everyone else as they did too. "When did it get so cold?" Sam asked, hesitantly.
"I don't know," I replied, fearfully.

The power flickered on and off again, causing us to bunch up together, Sam asked the rest of the group if they were the ones to reply to his short story's ending. They all replied with "no? I thought it was you..."

I noticed Ellie started shaking viciously, so I turned to her, wrapping my arms around her. But her eyes were glued to something else. And then she screamed, causing me to fall to the floor. She pointed, flinging her arm, cutting through the middle of Max and Avery, who were hugging each other out of fear. We all turned to see what it was... the photo of Nathan. But something was off about it, and the first thing I noticed was that his eyes were glowing a dark, evil red colour, causing the rest of us to scream.

Goose bumps flurried down my skin as I gulped at the sight.

Then a knock at the door. "No one answer it!" I yelled, shaking violently.

There was a moment of silence...

Until the windows burst open, the wind flying through the room, smashing any antiques on the mantelpiece and cupboards. We all rushed to the middle of the room, glaring at Sam, not taking our eyes off of him.

"You little shit!" Max and Avery chorused, "Why did you tell that one?" They yelled.
"You're the one that suggested horror stories!" Sam retaliated, aiming at Avery, "you suggested I tell one!"
"Guys!" I shout, trying to calm them all down. But as the wind started howling, I noticed a note fly through the shattered glass.
"Red Rose, Red Rose is behind Ellie," I read. We all screamed when a shadow formed behind her, tapping her on the shoulder, letting her collapse onto the floor.
"What the actual fuck?" Shrieked Avery in fear.

Another flew in. I forced myself to pick it up, "Red Rose, Red Rose is behind Sam," I read. Sam gawked at me, shaking in fear, but before he could reply he dropped to the floor, Max rushing after him, checking for a pulse.
"None..." he said.

Another note flew onto Sam's dead body, which Max picked up, "Red Rose, Red Rose is behind you, Max," and without a hesitation, Max flopped on top of Sam, Avery now clinging to my arm.

When I peered out side, I noticed flames guarding the door, the windows, just surrounding the house, casually burning, but not impacting... yet.

"I'm scared, Vex," Avery told me, causing me to panic when another note flew into the room. I tiptoed towards it, Avery's arm never unlinking from mine. She decided to pick up the partially burnt piece of paper... "Red Rose, Red Rose is-" she didn't even finish before she collapsed to the floor, leaving me to look around the room at my friends. Friends that I'd never see again.

I picked up Avery's death note, reading it aloud. "Red Rose, Red Rose is right behind you, Rose crusher," which hit me like a ton of bricks. When I was in a deep trance of the rose, Avery rushed up to it, stamping on it to get my attention. I gasped, knowing that I had to get out of my house. My safe spot. Pfft. Not anymore.

I ran towards the exit of the living room, a note flying in through the shattered window. But I didn't read it. I didn't look at it. I sprinted through the hallway, tripping up many times, just to get to the front door. I kept fiddling with the lock, trying to find the key on the side table. My eyes welled up with tears as I noticed more notes fly into the hallway. I couldn't read them. I screamed, hoping that someone would hear it and come to my rescue. But no one did.

I griped all the keys on the table, fumbling over them, trying to find the right one. And when I saw it, the one marked 'H' for house key, I jammed it into the door, rummaging it around the lock. Tears left my swollen eyes as I came face to face with my biggest fear.

I stared at what was right in front of me. Eyes glowing like the picture, I was face to face with Nathan, who I now noticed, looked exactly like me and my mum. I blinked, then seeing someone standing next to him. Significantly taller, slimmer and looking down at me. I was struggling to stand up. My mother. I went to throw my hands around her, but she flung her arm out, just like Ellie did, cutting me off. She pointed behind me, but I didn't dare look around.

"Look behind you, sweetie," her gentle voice said.
"Vex, sister, I love you. Trust us," Nathan said calmly. But I didn't trust them. I knew what was coming. But I had to turn around to get it over with.

Except, before I could, I felt a hand on my shoulder:
"Red Rose, Red Rose is right behind you, Vex,"

I collapsed to the floor, noticing my pulse slowing by the second, tears flooding from my eyes, making their great escape. I looked behind me, where she was standing. Peering down at me, judging me. Her black eyes staring into my soul, making me realise this was the end.

I figured out the mystery. I got the answers I wanted. I knew why my mum died. I got extra answers too. But the price was... too extreme.

The only words that left her mouth were...

"When I finished off Sam's story, I forgot to mention the bit where I said: I'll be back,"

My eyes closed. All I could hear was an evil cackle. But before I passed, I noticed two roses looking at me. Two roses. My mother and Nathan. I glared up one final time as I watched the shadowed figure turn into a puff of smoke, leaving behind a butterfly. The same butterfly that we saw earlier. Red and black. Just like the light. Red and black.